The French verb "maintenir" means "to maintain" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "maintenir" across all 5 tenses. New to French verbs? Start with the French verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "maintenir" in the Present Tense
Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | maintiens |
| tu | you (informal) | maintiens |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | maintient |
| nous | we | maintenons |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | maintenez |
| ils/elles | they | maintiennent |
Il maintient la porte ouverte toujours.
say it eel man-TYIN la port oo-VERT too-ZHOOR
He keeps the door open always.
In other languages
- German Er hält die Tür immer offen.
- Spanish Él mantiene la puerta abierta siempre.
- Dutch Hij houdt de deur altijd open.
Je maintiens ma décision malgré tout.
say it zhuh man-TYIN ma day-see-ZYOHN mal-gray too
I maintain my decision despite everything.
In other languages
- German Ich halte trotz allem an meiner Entscheidung fest.
- Spanish Mantengo mi decisión a pesar de todo.
- Dutch Ik handhaaf mijn beslissing ondanks alles.
How to Conjugate "maintenir" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passé composé Actions completed in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | ai maintenu |
| tu | you (informal) | as maintenu |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | a maintenu |
| nous | we | avons maintenu |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | avez maintenu |
| ils/elles | they | ont maintenu |
Elle a maintenu sa position.
say it EH-LAH man-tuh-NEW SAH po-zee-SYOHN
She maintained her position.
In other languages
- German Sie hat ihre Position beibehalten.
- Spanish Ella mantuvo su posición.
- Dutch Zij heeft haar positie behouden.
J'ai maintenu mon opinion.
say it JAY man-tuh-NEW mohn-noh-pee-YOHN
I maintained my opinion.
In other languages
- German Ich habe meine Meinung beibehalten.
- Spanish Mantuve mi opinión.
- Dutch Ik heb mijn mening gehandhaafd.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "maintenir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | maintenais |
| tu | you (informal) | maintenais |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | maintenait |
| nous | we | maintenions |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | mainteniez |
| ils/elles | they | maintenaient |
Il maintenait sa position fermement.
say it eel min-tuh-NAY sa po-zee-SYOHN fair-muh-mahn
He was maintaining his position firmly.
In other languages
- German Er hielt seine Position fest aufrecht.
- Spanish Él mantenía firmemente su posición.
- Dutch Hij handhaafde zijn positie stevig.
Je maintenais le contact avec lui.
say it zhuh min-tuh-NAY luh kohn-takt a-vek lwee
I was maintaining contact with him.
In other languages
- German Ich hielt Kontakt mit ihm.
- Spanish Estaba manteniendo contacto con él.
- Dutch Ik hield contact met hem.
How to Conjugate "maintenir" in the Future Tense
Futur simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | maintiendrai |
| tu | you (informal) | maintiendras |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | maintiendra |
| nous | we | maintiendrons |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | maintiendrez |
| ils/elles | they | maintiendront |
Il maintiendra cette promesse importante.
say it eel man-tyan-DRAH set proh-MESS am-por-TAHNT
He will maintain this important promise.
In other languages
- German Er wird dieses wichtige Versprechen einhalten.
- Spanish Él mantendrá esta promesa importante.
- Dutch Hij zal deze belangrijke belofte nakomen.
Je maintiendrai le cap actuel.
say it zhuh man-tyan-DRAY luh KAP ak-tew-ELL
I will maintain the current course.
In other languages
- German Ich werde den aktuellen Kurs beibehalten.
- Spanish Mantendré el rumbo actual.
- Dutch Ik zal de huidige koers handhaven.
How to Conjugate "maintenir" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | maintiendrais |
| tu | you (informal) | maintiendrais |
| il/elle/on | he/she/one | maintiendrait |
| nous | we | maintiendrions |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | maintiendriez |
| ils/elles | they | maintiendraient |
Il maintiendrait sa promesse.
say it eel man-tyan-DRAY sah-proh-MESS
He would maintain his promise.
In other languages
- German Er würde sein Versprechen halten.
- Spanish Mantendría su promesa.
- Dutch Hij zou zijn belofte nakomen.
Je maintiendrais le rythme.
say it zhuh man-tyan-DRAY luh-REET-muh
I would maintain the rhythm.
In other languages
- German Ich würde den Rhythmus beibehalten.
- Spanish Mantendría el ritmo.
- Dutch Ik zou het ritme behouden.
Frequently Asked Questions About "maintenir"
Is "maintenir" regular or irregular in French?
"Maintenir" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "maintenir" mean in English?
The French verb "maintenir" means "to maintain" in English.
How do you conjugate "maintenir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → maintiens, tu → maintiens, il/elle/on → maintient, nous → maintenons, vous → maintenez, ils/elles → maintiennent.
How many tenses does "maintenir" have in French?
"Maintenir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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